Saori is stargazing, admiring the vast skies, which was recently darkened by clouds. She wonders if there's a starry sky somewhere in this world. The scenery outside of the wagon is monotonous, consisting of only grasslands and forest.

She stares ahead, and she suddenly pauses.

"Is this world supposed to be like this?" she asks aloud, with a pensive expression.

The vast grasslands, the forest, and the occasional villages that dotted the landscape, all of them looked the same.

The road is unpaved and potholes form on the road's surface, making the journey bumpy.

"There's nothing interesting, nothing different, nothing special... nothing worth remembering..."

She pouts her lips and bites her bottom lip, wondering if there's something else she's forgetting.

"How did I get here?"

Her fingers run along the leather beside her, feeling the snugness of her instrument case.

She opens the latches of the case, taking out her clarinet, and runs her fingers over it.

"This is the last instrument that I played, before I died." she murmurs.

She sets up her instrument, before placing the mouthpiece between her lips.

She takes a deep breath, and the sounds of music start to come from her instrument.

Her eyes widen, and her cheeks show signs of grinning.

The sound of the wind, the chirping of the birds, and the rustling of the trees, everything around her fades away, and she only focuses on the music.

"I'll never forget this... no matter what."

Her fingers caress the keys of the clarinet, her body swaying rhythmically.

Her voice grows louder, filling the air.

The world around her reverts, and she's sitting inside a small, cozy room.

"It's so peaceful... it feels so good..."

"It's amazing, isn't it?" she hears a man's voice, and looks up to see a young, yet skinny man. It was Taishi. Her "formerself".

Taishi says with a smile, "It's beautiful... You look younger now, though."

Saori smiles at him, "It's because I'm in a different world."

"Is that so?" Taishi inquires.

"Yes, it's because I'm in a different world."

Taishi stares at her with a confused expression.

She continues, "I've found myself a new place in this world. I've rediscovered myself. My old memories are fading, but I will never forget you. I will never forget my friends, and everyone who has ever given me a warm welcome back there. I've rediscovered my final goal, and I'm going to explore this world. This new world that I found, it's not like the world I used to live in. There's so much I want to experience. There's so much I want to accomplish."

Taishi stares at her, smiling, fading away.

Instead of Saori remembering Taishi playing in the old world, she slowly remembers herself playing in the place of Taishi.

She then turns her attention back to the music, playing more and more of it.

She plays the clarinet, stargazing, replaying her past life, and discovering her new world.

"Hey, we've arrived." Taruk's voice broke through the music, and it snapped her back into reality.

She pauses the music, and stares at the town in front of her.

"It's Krenstadt." Taruk says, pointing at it from the driver's seat. The wagon slowly approaches the town's gate and pauses. There were other wagons and carriages that stopped as well, and adventurers gathered around them in small groups to talk about their recent adventures.

Taruk grunts, "We're finally here."

"Yeah." She replies, gazing up at the walls of Krenstadt, which seemed to go on forever.

"Are you ready to do your performance thing?" he asked.

"I guess so. I just have to play the clarinet, right?"

"Yeah. That's about all you need to do." He said with a smirk on his face before patting Saori on her shoulder and stepping out of the wagon to give his identification to the guards at the gate.

Saori stares out the window and sees a crowd of adventurers gathering at the gate. She climbs out of the wagon, and stares at the people who stood in line waiting to enter the city's gates. She listens to their conversations, and notice their excitement.

"I wonder what's happening in Krenstadt..." she muses.

She puts away her clarinet, places it in its case, and stares at the entrance. She's eager to find out, but she needs a little bit of courage first.

"We'll be going through," Taruk says as he gets back onto the wagon.

"Alright." she answers, and boards the wagon once more.

Taruk starts the horses, and the wagon begins to move forward.

She stares out the windows, watching the scenery pass by.

The grasslands and fields quickly gave way to the outskirts of the town, and eventually, the streets of the town.

She stares in awe, her eyes wide open, her hands clutching the edges of her seat.

The buildings, the roads, and the people, they're all completely different from the world that she lived in. Everything looked strange, and unfamiliar.

The scent of food, the noise of voices, and the sights of colors, everything about this town felt different. It's almost like the world itself was trying to tell Saori, 'you're not from here.' But, it's okay. This is her new world. This is the world where she belongs now.

She's filled with joy, and happiness; she's full of energy, and motivation. She's excited to meet new people, and discover new things. She's curious to know what's in store for her.

Saori, however, doesn't notice Taruk's gaze staring at her, his eyes filled with worry.

The wagon stops in front of a large building, and Taruk steps down from his perch on top of it.

"Let's get started, shall we?" he asks, walking towards one of the doors leading into the building. His wagon vanishes without a trace.

Saori follows behind, and glances around the street, noticing the people who walk past.

"There's so many people, Taruk. So much life in this world." she murmurs.

"You're the only musician, though. The rest of these people don't even play an instrument." Taruk replies as he opens the door for her.

"I hope that changes someday, though."

They step inside the building, and the smells of wood and paper greet her nostrils.

The floor is covered with wooden planks, and the ceiling is painted with murals of landscapes, and forests.

"This is the Krenstadt Branch of the Adventurer's Guild." Taruk whispers to Saori, who nods in response.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

The interior of the guild is a lot different than the exterior, and it feels a lot less crowded.

"The receptionist is over there." Taruk points towards a desk on the far side of the room, and they walk towards it.

"Hello, sir, how can I help you today?" A young woman greets him with a smile on her face.

"I'd like to register her, please." he replies, and presents his identification to the lady.

The woman takes his ID, and checks it, and then looks up at the girl standing next to the man.

"Is this an elf, by chance, Taruk? She's quite young, isn't she?" the woman asks, looking at the elf.

"Yes, that's correct. She's a bard named Saori. I've brought her here to join the Adventurer's Guild." Taruk responds, and the woman's eyes widen in surprise.

"A bard, huh... Well, that's certainly interesting. We haven't had an elf nor a bard in the Adventurer's Guild in a while. How long has it been, Taruk, since the last time an elf joined the Adventurer's Guild, anyway?" she asks.

"I believe it's about hundreds of years ago." Taruk replies.

"Hundreds of years! That's pretty rare, considering the fact that there isn't any elves spotted in this world in a long time." the receptionist sighs, shaking her head.

"I see. And why did you choose to become a... bard, then?" the receptionist asks.

"Well, because I enjoy music." Saori stutters nervously, pausing for a moment before continuing. "And, well, I want to spread music throughout this world. I think it would be amazing if everyone could listen to music, no matter where they came from, or how old or young they might be."

"That's very admirable of you. I'm sure the other adventurers and people will appreciate your efforts." the receptionist says with a warm, kind smile on her face.

"I really hope so." Saori says, smiling back at the woman.

"Okay, I'll get to processing your registration as soon as possible, oh, and please wait for the Guildmaster." the woman says.

Taruk smiles, and thanks the receptionist.

"Thank you very much, Elora." he replies before turning around, and stares at Saori.

"Well, you wait here while I gather supplies down at the market." he says, patting Saori on the shoulder.

"Alright..." she pouts at him.

Taruk turns around, and heads out of the guild, leaving Saori alone in the lobby.

With nothing to do, she stares at the receptionist, and the woman stares back at her.

"Do you have any questions, Saori?" the receptionist asks from the counter.

"No, not right now. Thank you, by the way." she replies politely.

"I'm glad you feel that way. If you do have any concerns or problems, you can come talk to me anytime." the receptionist assures the young elf.

"I will, thank you very much." Saori stammers in return.

"You're welcome. Have a nice day!" the woman exclaims cheerfully.

"Yes, yes, thank you again..."

Saori stares out the window, watching people strolling along the streets, and she listens to the conversations of the people passing by.

The sounds of people talking, the scents of food, the tastes of drinks, and the sights of colors, it's all incredibly new, and exciting.

The people walking by are mostly human, but she also notices some dwarves, creatures with fur, and even lizard people.

She's never seen a lizard-person in her life, but it seems like it's normal for them to exist, judging by the people's reactions.

"Well, it's easy to spot an elf in this crowded building." She turns to back to see a tall figure approach her.

He has dark brown hair, and green eyes. He wears a white shirt with a black vest, and a pair of leather pants. His boots are made out of soft, red-brown fur, and he has a short sword strapped to his waist. His scarred face speaks experience in combat, but his body doesn't.

"I am the Guildmaster of the Krenstadt Branch, and I welcome you to our humble establishment. My name is Rengil, and I'll be guiding you through the process of joining the Adventurer's Guild." he announces, bowing his head slightly.

"My pleasure. I'm Saori." She returns his greeting, and stands up straight again.

"Very good. Now, if you'll follow me, we'll go ahead and finish registering you. You must understand that all of the adventurers in this guild are expected to abide by the rules of the Guild, and to uphold the values of the Guild itself." Rengil explains.

"Of course." Saori answers, and follows him towards the door leading further into the building.

The building is just as beautiful on the inside, and the people walking around seem much more friendly than they were outside.

They pass by several tables, each one containing a variety of books, and papers, and scrolls. There are shelves lining the walls, and there are maps hanging from the ceiling, showing the locations of cities, towns, villages, and dungeons.

Rengil stops at one of the tables, and takes two quills, and a piece of parchment, placing it on top of the table.

"Please, sit down." he gestures towards one of the chairs.

Saori sits, and Rengil places the quill, stone ball, inkpot, and paper in front of her.

"Now, I need you to write down your name, age, race, and class. in the lines below." he instructs her, and waits patiently for her to begin writing.

"Saori, Elf, Bard." she writes, pausing every once in a while to re-read what little she wrote, and lays down the quill.

Rengil grabs the paper and begins to read it.

"Age?" Rengil asks, puzzled.

"Well... I kind of forgot." Saori stutters, blushing bright red.

"Oh, alright. That's what this Status Stone is for." he says, setting it in front of her.

Saori stares at the stone, and it's the same one that Taruk uses to inspect her status.

"Why would I need to write my details on the paper anyways?" she asks, confused.

"It's a tradition that has been going on for hundreds of years. It's a special kind of parchment that determines the user is lying or not based on the Status Stone near it." Rengil explains, and taps the stone with his finger.

"So, if I use this, the Guild will know if I lie to it?" she asks.

"Exactly. The paper will burn up if the writer is lying. But don't worry, you won't get punished for any lies. We will simply stop their registration and prevent them from joining other branches of the Adventurer's Guild." he replies with a reassuring smile on his face.

Saori stares at the stone, and she's reminded of that time back at the cabin with Taruk's Status Stone.

"Now, show your palms." he orders, snapping her out of her thoughts.

She looks up, and sees the Guildmaster staring intently at her hands with a stern expression on his face.

"What's wrong, sir?" she stammers nervously, and tries to hide her trembling fingers.

"Don't worry. There has been a lot of imposters going around trying to be an elf." the Guildmaster says in a serious tone, and stares at her for a moment longer. He then places the Status Stone on her hand.

In a moment, the stone shatters. Rengil stares at the broken pieces, and frowns.

"Hmm, that's strange." he mutters to himself, and stares at Saori with a stern gaze.

"Sir, why did the stone break? Was I being dishonest about something?" she stutters nervously, biting her lip to keep it from quivering.

"It's most likely a defective Status Stone." Rengil sighs, and stares at the girl. "I'll give you another one."

He walks over to a shelf, and picks a new stone, returning to the desk.

"There, now you should have no trouble using this." he grumbles, and stares at Saori again, placing the Status Stone on her palm once more.

This time, it shatters again. The girl stares at the fragments, wondering what happened.

"I'm sorry, Rengil, but could you tell me what went wrong this time?" she stutters.

"Well..." Rengil pauses, thinking hard. He stares at her for a long while, before sighing deeply, and rubbing the back of his head.

"Wait here." he says, standing up, and stalking out of the room. He returns a few minutes later carrying another Status Stone.

"This is the highest quality Status Stone in this building." he says, and places the stone on the girl's palm.

The stone remains intact, and a holographic screen shows up, showing Saori's class, race, and age. Unlike what Saori remembers with Taruk's Status Stone back at his cabin, Rengil's one doesn't display her level or her other stats. She ponders in her mind if the Status Stone that Taruk has is one of the special kinds.

Rengil is in shock. He stared at the screen, unable to believe what he was seeing.

"How...?" he whispers, stumbling backwards.

"How do I look to you?" She says, as if it's not obvious.

"You're an elf. A bard. I've never seen such things in my life, let alone my generation. You are the manifestation of two extinct things from a by-gone era." Rengil stares at Saori in disbelief.

"What does that mean, exactly?" Saori asks, looking at the man in confusion.

"I can't explain it in words, but you are the embodiment of an elf, and a bard in a world in which they don't exist anymore." Rengil stares into her eyes, and shakes his head slowly.

He hold her shoulders, and stares at the girl.

"From my knowledge, you are the only elf, and the only bard in the entire world." he whispers in awe, and Saori stares back at him in surprise.

"Me? The only elf and the only bard?" she stutters, before pausing for a moment to think. With the extinction of the elves, comes the extinction of the bards.

"But, how can this be possible?" she asks, still in a daze.

"I'm afraid I cannot answer this question." Rengil stares at the young woman in silence, lost for words.

"I see... So, where is everyone else who shares my condition?" She ponders, and stares at the ground in thought.

"I suspect that there aren't many others like us left in this world. And those who remain, may not even remember the old ways, and thus, might not understand the concept of an elf or a bard. For others, the knowledge of elves and bards exists only in low numbers. The common populace doesn't know that they're extinct." Rengil stares at her with a blank stare.

"But I'm here?" She wonders aloud, and Rengil pales, and stares into her eyes with a horrified expression.

"I-I suppose that would make sense." he stutters, and rubs his forehead.

"Anyways, you're accepted into the Adventurer's Guild. Don't forget your ID from Elora." Rengil nods in approval as he grabs back the Status Stone with caution.

"Thank you, Sir." She smiles, and stands up, bowing politely to the Guildmaster.

"You're welcome." he replies, and looks at her with a warm smile on his face.

"Now, I must ask you to leave, as I have much work to attend to. If you wish to stay, feel free to use our guest quarters upstairs." he points towards the door leading to the second floor.

"That's fine! I just have to meet up with Taruk soon." She says, before turning to walk out of the big room.

As the door closes, Rengil murmurs, "Taruk?" under his breath.